Why Philadelphia’s Rocky Statue Resonates with the World

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Joe Leydon Film Critic The “Rocky” series continues apace, even after Rocky himself has thrown in the towel, as Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed for “Creed III,” the latest installment in what might best be described as a spinoff franchise.

“Gonna Fly Now” horns.Rocky Balboa was as Philly as cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and the Liberty Bell. He always just existed in the City of Brotherly Love that I knew as a little shorty — back when I went by Chucky instead of Chuck.When word went around my elementary school that they were looking for children to be extras in “Rocky II” — after the first “Rocky” was a box-office smash and beat out such classics as “All the President’s Men,” “Network” and “Taxi Driver” for the Best Picture Oscar in 1977 — I was ready for my close-up.And as “Creed III,” opening Friday, continues the “Rocky” movie legacy — even sans Sylvester Stallone — it takes me back to that day in late 1978 and reminds me why the boxing-film franchise will always hold a special place in my heart.Somehow I talked my parents into me being an extra in the iconic “Rocky II” scene where hundreds of kids run after the fabled boxer and up the famous steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is the wordiest show on TV with 176.2 words per minute, a new study by WordFinderX reveals, which makes the Rob McElhenney-created FX sitcom the hardest series to follow if you’re watching with subtitles. To put that in perspective, the National Disability Authority recommends that subtitles should be no more than 140 words per minute.

Jason Kelce’s bundle of joy has arrived!

Jason Kelce is a girl dad of three!

Another Eagles fan! Jason Kelce’s wife, Kylie McDevitt, has given birth to the couple’s third child, a baby girl.

Super Bowl LVII. Jason's Philadelphia Eagles lost the big game to brother Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs, but his baby girl's arrival is sure to soften the blow.«Yesterday little lady #3 joined us,» Jason and Kylie announced on Instagram along with a picture of their newborn.

Bradley Cooper is repping his football team.

EastEnders has welcomed several new faces over recent months, from Sonia Jackson's shady lodger Jed to Suki Panesar's villainous husband Nish. Now, there's set be another newcomer in Walford, with Rocky Cotton's past coming to catch up with him as his estranged wife Jo Cotton arrives on Albert Square in March. Actress Vicki Michelle, 72, who is best known for her role as Yvette Carte-Blanche in the BBC comedy series Allo! Allo!, has been cast as Jo, who married Rocky (Brian Conley) over 25 years ago.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Adonis Creed, like Rocky Balboa before him, is a fighter who faces down his demons and finds his triumph-of-the-human-spirit mojo, all leading up to his inevitable delivery of that knockout punch (well, okay, Rocky actually lost the fight in “Rocky”). The first two “Creed” films, like the six “Rocky” films, were rah-rah crowd-pleasers, with the hero taking on an adversary who represents the forces of darkness. The boxing foes in these movies are a little like comic-book supervillains: Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago, Drago’s vengeful son, and so on. They’ve been catchy and, at times, memorable characters, but it’s part of their appeal that they’re two-dimensional raging-bull enemies you would hardly rank as layered human beings.

Stephen Webb had never worn makeup or pulled on a pair of tights until he stepped into the size-too-small heels of Dr Frank n Furter. But now, the actor says you ‘can’t get me out of the suspenders’ as he performs in The Rocky Horror Show at Manchester’s Opera House this week.

Rihanna was bumping around on her birthday! The pregnant singer, who turned 35 on Monday, looked stunning when she stepped out for dinner at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California, with her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, and friends. The birthday girl was dressed for the occasion in an all-white mini dress that she completed with a pair of sandals. She kept warm by way of a black snakeskin coat draped over her shoulders.

Jason Donovan looks unrecognisable as he stars as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show.The former Neighbours actor, 54, ditched his short blonde locks for a longer, darker ‘do to portray the character in the well-loved musical. In snaps taken of Jason performing in Sydney, Australia, he sported some dramatic make-up consisting of red lipstick, false lashes and smokey eyeshadow.

Depeche Mode have added more North American shows to their 2023 ‘Memento Mori’ world tour – tickets will be available here.The synth-pop duo – comprising Dave Gahan and Martin Gore – are due to hit the road in the US and Canada next month following the release of their 15th album, ‘Memento Mori’, which is out on March 17 via Columbia/Mute.Today (February 16), Depeche Mode announced a second North American leg that takes in 29 new dates between late September and mid-December, 2023.Extra gigs will take place in locations such as Mexico City, Austin, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando, Brooklyn, Nashville, Philadelphia and Toronto. The run is set to conclude with a pair of LA gigs at the city’s Kia Forum and Crypto.com Arena.Tickets for the newly-confirmed concerts go on general sale at 10am local time next Friday (February 24) – you’ll be able to purchase yours here.

Rihanna loves being a mom! The 34-year-old singer, actress, and businesswoman revealed during the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show that months after welcoming her first son with boyfriend A$AP Rocky, she is pregnant again with her second child.According to People, RiRi is focused on building her family and creating memories. “The main focus right now is on her family. She loves spending time with her son,” an insider told the publication.

Olivia Wilde is responding after facing backlash for calling A$AP Rocky «hot» during Rihanna's Super Bowl LVII halftime performance Sunday. Wilde took to her Instagram Stories in to share a since-deleted snap, in which she shared her adoration for the rapper.«If I thought he was hot before, this really put me over the edge,» the  director wrote above a video of Rocky filming RiRi during Sunday's show.It didn't take fans long to take to Twitter to comment on Wilde's post, calling it «inappropriate.» «She’s really living up to that last name [of] hers,» one Twitter user quipped of the newly single Wilde.«This is so inappropriate,» another wrote.

Her second baby is on the way and Rihanna’s baby’s father was also in the audience supporting his woman all the way through.

Rihanna had her biggest fan in the audience as she took the stage during the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are expecting their second child together! The singer dropped the big news in grand fashion by showing her baby bump during her epic Super Bowl LLVII halftime performance. Now, let's take a look at how their friendship turned into a romance.The two have sparked rumors of a relationship since the two performed onstage together for the first time in 2012, but it wasn't until almost a decade later that the duo publically became a couple. The two were longtime friends before they became lovers, which Rocky confirmed by publicly declaring Rihanna as the love of his life in an interview with in May 2021.